Life isn't fair Deal with it
by silentowl08
Summary: Kurt hates being considered an outcast and with an opportunity to join the Cheerios and be popular he can't stop himself. He takes a leap of faith, and quickly realizes it is not all its cracked up to be. Rated M for language and future 'interactions'.
1. Choice

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters.

Warning: Future Slash and other pairings. AKA, you don't like it you do not have to read it.

Chapter 1

Kurt Hummel took one look at Sue Sylvester and asked in an astonished voice "You want me to do what?"

Sue glared down at the small boy in front of her, and wondered if being gay was associated in any way with deafness. She had stated quite plainly what she wanted Kurt to do, and it was not like she was some crazy fast talker. However, since he was her newest minion she would coddle him, at least this one time. After this, he would go through hell just like any of the rest of her Cheerios. Leaning in close she slowly said "Quit. Glee. Club." To emphasize this she jabbed his chest with her finger after each word was said.

Kurt stared up at his new coach and tried to act surprised. Since he wasn't as dense as Puck it truly was an act, as he had half expected something like this when Sue made her offer for him and Mercedes to join the Cheerios. He just hadn't expected it to come so soon. Backing up a pace he asked "Why?"

This just seemed to annoy Sue, as her eyes glared down at him like those of a hawk swooping in for a kill. "You're either a Cheerio, and somewhat popular, or a freak in glee club. Take your pick." was what Sue said to him in reply. Almost as an after thought she added "Oh, and the football team doesn't mess with my people, if that means anything to you."

Kurt gulped as the implications sunk in. Sue was pretty much saying that she was the reason he and the dumpster hadn't had any more 'dates' recently. She was also saying that if he picked glee he would soon be reintroduced to his old 'friend'. Kurt had no desire for that, as he had only just gotten his outfits dry cleaned and his dad was not going to give him anymore advances on his allowance to do it again.

Sue could see the thoughts running through the kids head and knew she had him. No one would willingly go back to being a social pariah when they had some semblance of popularity. Despite what Kurt might think about loving glee, he loved being accepted by more than ten people much more. Granted her Cheerios were only being 'nice' because she had threatened them with expulsion from the squad, but Kurt did not know this and as long as he was kept unaware he would do whatever she wanted him to.

Kurt stared down at the floor and dejectedly said "I'll stick with the Cheerios." Unbeknown to him Sue began sporting a malicious grin, and was almost exuding contentment from her pores. Kurt twitched slightly when he felt Sue's hand on his shoulder, and wanted to pull back as she said "You made the right choice. Now go tell Schuester. Practice is right after school, and you better be front and center."

Kurt nodded pathetically, and made his way out of Sue's office, wondering just how he was going to be able to break this to everyone without them hating him forever.

* * *

Author's Note

My first time posting, hope you enjoy it! More to come soon.


	2. Spacing out is bad for your health

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters

Warning: Profanity

Chapter 2

Kurt was still trying to figure out what to tell his fellow glee members when he walked right into Azimio. The football player's books slammed onto the ground and the large football player glared death down at the smaller boy, and wished that he could just rid the world of this pathetic excuse for a human being. Kurt quickly reached down to pick up the books, saying "I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going." As Kurt stood back up with the various remedial Math and English books Azimio shoved him to the ground with his right hand.

Kurt landed hard on his butt and let out a gasp of pain as his backside informed him that it was not happy with the current situation. Before he could even attempt to get back to his feet Azimio grabbed Kurt by the collar of his Cheerio outfit and pushed him up against the nearby row of lockers. Azimio glared hatefully at the boy trapped in his grasp and said "Watch where you're going you little fuck. You might think you're all cool now that you're one of Sue's bitches, but you're wrong. Get in my way again and you'll learn the hard way what happens to gays at this school."

After saying this to Kurt Azimio threw him to the ground and grabbed his books, not wanting the little flamer to touch his stuff anymore. Stomping off with a few other football players they left Kurt on the ground dirty and bruised. Most of the students nearby just ignored him, but one familiar face rushed over crying out "Kurt!"

Kurt looked up just in time to see Mercedes bend down to offer him a hand up. He gratefully took the offered limb and pulled himself up, cursing the brutality of the jock as he did so. While things like that happened to him from time to time he refused to accept it as something that had to be. He sometimes wished that he could just be 'normal' and just get through high school, and other times wished that people didn't make such a big deal about his sexuality.

Kurt was brought out of his internal thoughts as Mercedes brushed him off and asked "What happened this time? Azimio think you look at him in the shower or something?"

Kurt couldn't help but shudder as Mercedes said this, and both quickly erupted in quiet laughter at the thought. Both knew Azimio was nowhere near Kurt's type, and even Marc Jacob's entire collection would not be enough to persuade him otherwise. Wiping a tear from his eye Kurt responded with "Not even close. He just has some personal space issues."

Mercedes nodded at this and then started pulling Kurt towards the choir room. As she all but dragged him she said "Come on, we need to tell Mr. Schuester about Miss Sylvester's little plan."

Kurt felt the blood draining from his face as he realized that not only had Sue gone to Mercedes, but Mercedes had chosen to stick with glee club. And also assumed that so would Kurt. How could he break it to them now when Mercedes was going to burst in there and say that they were not going to fall for Sue's tricks? Kurt was still pondering this when Mercedes dragged him into the choir room.

* * *

Author's Note

There's chapter two. Reviews would be much appreciated. :D


	3. Breaking the news

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters

Warning: Profanity and a dash of smut

Chapter 3

Kurt stood awkwardly in front of the assembled glee club as Mercedes explained to everyone what Sue had tried to make them do. There were various reactions from the members ranging from shocked and disgusted from Rachel, understanding from Quinn, apathetic stare from Santana and a blank look from Brittany. The rest of the members well in between Rachel and Quinn's expressions, including Mr. Schuester. As Mercedes finished explaining the little devious plot she turned to Kurt and said "And we were not having anything to do with it, right Kurt?"

Everyone turned to look at Kurt then, and he couldn't help it when he swallowed reflexively. While he did love being a part of glee club the thought of being even semi popular was enough to force his next words. He stared back at the rest of the glee club and said "Sorry guys. I'm actually somewhat popular now and don't have dates with the dumpster anymore. And I can't give that up."

As the rest of the glee club stood there in stunned silence Kurt turned around and walked out. The door was just about to close when Mr. Schuester grabbed it and slipped outside. Kurt, who had been half-expecting this, didn't try and walk away but instead waited while Mr. Schuester closed the door behind him.

Mr. Schuester looked down at him and asked "Are you sure about this Kurt? I know you want to be accepted, but do you really think the Cheerios are going to do that? Stay with us Kurt. You know we'd never do anything to hurt you."

Kurt stared back at the Spanish teacher and was silent for a moment. He slowly shook his head and said "I'm sorry Mr. Schuester."

Turning away from his former director, Kurt silently headed back to Sue's office to let her know what was up. As he walked he was barely aware of what was going on around him, resulting in a repeat of an earlier incident.

* * *

Daniel attempted to make his way through the throngs of people in the hallway while keeping a tight grip on his calculus book. Even though classes were over for the day the school was oddly packed, probably because of the assembly today pushing everything back. He didn't mind it much, except that on days like this he wouldn't be able to get home till way after dark. He tutored about half of the football team in math and without him they wouldn't be able to maintain the minimum grade requirement for play. This of course did not keep them from treating him like the scum of the universe.

Daniel was deep in thought about this when Kurt rounded a corner and slammed right into him. Daniel's book went flying as he fell back on his back. He groaned softly as he attempted to figure out what had happened. Things quickly became apparent though when he heard Kurt say "Oh my god, are you ok? I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going."

Daniel finally focused on who was talking to him and grimaced slightly. It was the gay kid who felt that everyone should have to deal with his perversion on a daily basis. Daniel couldn't believe that anyone could actually live like that. It was wrong, just like his mother said.

Daniel scowled up at Kurt and said "Watch it next time. No one wants someone like you bumping into them."

A flash of pain crossed Kurt's face but was swiftly replaced with an aloof expression. He turned his head away and was about to walk off when someone shoved him from behind. Daniel had only a second to say "Oh sh-" before Kurt landed right on top of him.

* * *

Kurt attempted to catch himself from slamming into Daniel but only succeeded on pinning the other boy's arms to the ground. It was of course a complete coincidence that Kurt had happened to push against Daniel's biceps to keep himself up, but to everyone around them it would look like Kurt was purposefully holding Daniel down.

This was accentuated when he heard Azimio mockingly say "Hey look at the two flamers! Don't they look so _cute_ together? Maybe they can go molest children together or something."

Kurt blushed as he heard the laughter in response to this and was about to quickly get up when he heard Daniel shout "GET OFF ME YOU HOMO."

Kurt fell backward as Daniel pretty much exploded upward. The other boy was literally shaking with rage as he directed a hateful glare down at him. Kurt just lay there in shock as Daniel yelled "KEEP YOUR FUCKING GAY HANDS OFF OF ME!"

Kurt had just a second to be taken back by this before Daniel spun around and stormed off. He was still speechless as the rest of the of the witnesses dispersed. After a few moments of stunned silence he realized that everyone, including the asshole Azimio, had left. Kurt was now alone on the floor, with only Daniel's forgotten calculus book keeping him company.

Although Kurt really wanted to stand up he was still in shock over what had just happened. While he was completely embarrassed over what had just happened, he couldn't help but think about the _other_ emotions he had felt when he had been on top of Daniel. The proximity of the other boy had been quite nice, as Daniel was quite easy on the eyes. He could still smell the faint scent of mint from Daniel's mouth, and the distinct smell of his deodorant. That fact alone made him realize that Daniel must have just had gym class, and more importantly must have just changed.

Kurt felt his face flush at the thought of Daniel changing, and couldn't help his body's response to this. Kurt quickly stood up to hide his growing erection, grabbing the fallen book as he did so to use as a shield. Vowing to return it later Kurt began rushing towards Miss Sylvester's office, knowing that the thought of Sue Sylvester would be more than enough to kill the mood in his pants.

* * *

Author's note

Just going to warn you now, the next chapter will be a bit intense. Again, reviews would be lovely.


	4. Kurt's Dilemma

Disclaimer: I wish they were mine, but they're not.

Warning: Slight profanity, slight carnage, hint of smut

Chapter 4

Kurt rushed into Sue's office after only a cursory knock on her door. He face was still red, but he did not care at this point. Right now he just wanted to tell Sue what had happened, and then get the hell out of there. The book in his right hand also reminded him that he had to get it back at some point to Daniel.

This was all crossing Kurt's mind at light speed when Sue asked "Yes gay boy?"

Kurt twitched slightly in response to this, but didn't rise to the biting comment. He had already decided to stick with the Cheerios and would not be turning back on his decision. So to keep from saying anything he would regret he simply stated "I quit glee club."

Sue flashed a quick smile at this and then nodded. "You did the right thing Kurt. Now, its practice time."

* * *

Kurt breathed hard as he walked out of the gym. Practice today had been brutal beyond belief. Two girls had actually passed out, requiring Sue to get smelling salts to wake them up. Where she got them Kurt was not sure and for his sanity he preferred not knowing. As he got to the locker room he quickly began changing. All of the other guys had left already, as Sue had made him stay later to learn the routines, as he was a beginner.

As Kurt peeled off his Cheerios outfit he got a whiff of B.O. and coughed. He was NOT used to smelling like this and there was no chance in hell that he would go anywhere while he was like this. Quickly stripping off his clothes Kurt made his way over to the showers.

After picking a private stall Kurt slid in, turned on the water, and started cleaning up. As the warm water slid down his body Kurt thought about what had happened today. He had quit glee club, gotten into several embarrassing situations, and right now probably had no real friends. Santana hadn't spoken to him at all during practice and Brittany had followed her lead. None of the other Cheerios had really warmed up to him yet, and he couldn't help but think that he might have made the wrong choice.

Kurt sighed as the water washed away the sweat from his body and slowly began soaping himself up. He paid special attention to any area that tended to collect unpleasant smells and was soon relaxing under the warm stream of water. He became so relaxed that he didn't even hear the door to the locker room open, and only became aware of the others near him when he heard a familiar voice say "Well, just look at what we have here."

Kurt froze for a second as he recognized Azimio's voice and prayed that he was just dizzy from the heat and it was all in his head. This thought was soon to be forlorn as he heard footsteps coming over to him. From the sound of it there had to be at least three people, and he doubted that whatever was about to happen would be the stuff from his fantasies.

* * *

Azimio stared at the flamer in front of him, and couldn't hide the contempt on his face. The fairy boy in front of him looked more like a prepubescent girl than a guy. Between the hairless body and lithe form Azimio wasn't even sure if Kurt wasn't just some girl with tiny boobs. However, when Kurt turned around a second later Azimio finally learned the truth.

Azimio's eyes nearly bugged out of his head when he saw not so little Kurt. His mouth almost fell open at what he saw. Kurt was no little guy. If it had been anyone else Azimio would have slapped him on the back and congratulated him. As it was, he was just pissed off. Why should a flamer like that have THAT? His staring must have been noticeable, as Kurt jokingly, and slightly nervously, said "See something you like?"

Azimio's face jerked up to look at Kurt's, and for a second he saw nothing but red. Next thing he knew both of his friends were pulling him back saying things like "SHIT MAN! We need to get out of here! NOW!"

Azimio was confused by their reactions, at least until he noticed what was in front of him. A red streak now decorated the tile wall, trailing down to Kurt's crumbled form on the ground. A small pool of red was forming around his head and he did not appear to be awake. Azimio felt the blood drain from his face and quickly stopped resisting and fled the locker room with the other two.

* * *

Daniel rushed down the hallway where the gay kid had slammed into him, trying desperately to find his lost Calculus book. He had only realized it was missing after he had finished Azimio's take home test, as that was when he could finally think about going home. The 'study session' had consisted of him doing the jock's homework and praying that they wouldn't decide to make him 'speed things up'. He hated doing it but their parents paid him to 'tutor' their son's so he really didn't have much choice. If he said anything he'd lose his source of income and the jocks would still probably make him do their work.

Daniel was just about to give up and head home for the night when he heard some rapid footfalls coming from the gym area. He meandered over while glancing around to see if his book was in a corner or something when he spotted Azimio and two of his buddies running for all they were worth. The sight of them fleeing like kicked dogs was quite amusing to him, but he figured he might as well check it out. It was probably a teacher yelling at them for still being around and if it was he might be able to ask if anyone had found his book.

As he headed towards the gym a feeling of foreboding came over him as no teacher came into sight. He began to get a little anxious, as the three could have been up to something illegal, and he was about to run into something that he would be better off not seeing. After a few minutes of not walking into anything Daniel began to relax, until he noticed a red smear on the door to the gym.

Daniel felt ice entering his veins as he slowly stepped closer to the smear, and whimpered slightly when he saw it. It had to be blood. Paint just did not look like that, and Azimio wouldn't have been running like that if it had been him getting hurt. Daniel stepped back a few paces and was about to bolt when his mother's voice echoed through his head.

_"What would a good Christian do?"_

That memory stopped Daniel cold, and reminded him what he had to do. Someone was likely very hurt, and he had to help. He quickly ran into the gym and looked around. Seeing the place deserted he began scanning the place to see if there was somewhere else that a hurt person could be. His eyes landed on the boy's locker room, and he rushed towards it as fast as he could. Something told him that that was his best bet at finding whoever was hurt.

When he burst into the locker room he immediately heard the sound of a shower going and quickly ran over towards it. He called out "Hello? Is someone there?"

When he heard no response he wasn't sure if he should be relieved or more worried. When he did get to the shower though his mind was made up. He was terrified. Lying down in a pool of blood was Kurt. While he did not like the kid that didn't mean he wanted him to die. He quickly dropped to his knees and felt for a pulse, checking the carotid artery like he had been taught in health class. He breathed a little easier when he felt it, although he couldn't tell if it was weak or not.

After ascertaining that Kurt's heart was still beating, and seeing his chest rise, Daniel quickly whipped out his cell phone and quickly called 9-1-1. His heart was beating a mile a minute just a few seconds later when he heard a female voice say "911 What is your emergency?"

Daniel quickly said "Theres a kid bleeding from his head over at McKinley High School. He is in the locker room by the showers. Theres blood everywhere."

The female voice quickly responded with "An ambulance is on its way. Can you tell if the boy is breathing?"

"Yeah he is. He also had a pulse when I checked a minute ago. I... ah... oh crap..." Daniel said as he started to lose it.

The female operator quickly butted in with "Stay with me son. It is going to be alright. If the bleeding isn't that bad do not move him. Wait till the paramedics get there."

Daniel nodded stupidly, not even realizing that the operator could of course not see him. He just kept his eyes on Kurt as he stood there in disbelief. He couldn't comprehend what was happening. He didn't even care that the shower was still on, and had gotten his entire left side wet by this point. The only good thing was that his phone wasn't getting soaked, or else he might not have caught what the operator said next.

"Is there a shower on? Turn it off if it is. He could catch a chill from getting wet."

Daniel quickly complied, and just as he did that he heard someone burst into the room yelling "Where are you?!"

Daniel turned to see a paramedic rushing in, while another wheeled in a stretcher. He weakly called out "Over here."

Seeing him for the first time, the first paramedic rushed over and said "You did good kid. Now let us handle it from here."

Daniel stepped back to let them do their job and kept going until his back was against the wall. As soon as he saw them stabilize Kurt's neck with a neck brace and get him on the stretcher Daniel felt his eyes roll into the back of his and then blackness consumed him.

* * *

Author's Note

They've been getting longer, and I hope to keep it up. Chapter 5 will be coming soon!


	5. Thank You

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these lovely characters, except maybe those that were created from the chaos of my own mind.

Chapter 5

Daniel slowly opened his eyes into blinked several times in an attempt to get his bearings. Wherever he was it was very bright, effectively blinding him. After a few moments though he finally could make out the things around him and with a jolt he realized he was in a hospital room. He felt his heart began to beat faster and moments later a beeping noise began to emit from a machine nearby. Seconds later a male nurse rushed in, an intent look on his face. When he noticed that Daniel was awake his face broke out into a smile as he said "Good, you're awake. Your mother has been worried sick about you."

Before Daniel could even react to this a familiar voice called out "Oh Daniel, thank the Lord you are awake."

Daniel's mother quickly rushed over from wherever she had been resting and quickly engulfed her only son in a powerful hug. She had been there for the last hour and had been worried sick about Daniel. When she had received the call that her son was in the hospital she had thought the worst, but by the end of the conversation she was relieved and quite glad. Her son had helped another in distress, doing exactly what she had raised him to do. The fact that it was an obvious sinner he saved was irrelevant, for now.

Daniel, for his part, was trying his best to stay conscious. Joyce Cooper was known for giving hugs that could crush the life out of you and right now it seemed that she was intent on doing just that. Just when he thought that his lungs were on the verge of collapse his mother relented, letting him take in a breath of much needed air. He quickly said "I'm fine mom. Guess I just got a little light headed after... everything."

Joyce nodded emphatically in response to her son's comment. "That is perfectly understandable Daniel. You haven't been exposed to anything like this before. It is perfectly natural for you to be overwhelmed by it. I'm just glad that you waited until after the paramedics arrived to let yourself go. Now you just take it easy while I go see if we can get you out of here."

After hugging her son one more time Joyce calmly left the room in search of whoever she needed to talk to to get Daniel discharged. The nurse seemed slightly amused by all of this, smiling slightly as he checked Daniel over. He said "Well kid, you're pretty much all set. The fainting spell really wasn't that bad. Probably brought on by stress and exhaustion. You should be-"

"Are you Daniel Cooper?"

This new voice cut right through whatever the nurse was saying, and both he and Daniel turned to stare at the newcomer. Standing in the doorway was a uniformed police officer staring intently at Daniel. Daniel nodded in response to the question and said "Yes officer."

The nurse glanced between the two of them and quietly made an exit, leaving them alone in the room. The police officer stepped over and said "I'm Officer Blake and I just have a few questions for you."

Daniel nodded slowly in response, and said "Of course. I'll tell you everything I can remember."

* * *

After about half an hour of questioning Daniel felt himself growing slightly annoyed. While the first couple questions had been basic, such as "What were you doing there?" and "What did you see?", the questions now were very pointed and asked very specific things. Did he know anyone who had a grudge? Why would someone want to hurt Kurt? Did he know who was involved?

Daniel answered the questions as truthfully as he could, and didn't hesitate to give up Azimio's name. He hadn't recognized the other two as he had only kept a quick glimpse of them, and told the officer this. The officer wrote down everything Daniel said in a small notebook, and after the third time going through everything the notebook closed with a snap. The officer smiled down at Daniel and said "Thank you for everything. It has been very helpful."

Daniel watched as the officer left the room, and suddenly remembered that his mother had left a while ago to find his doctor. He wondered if she had found the doctor, or had just become hopelessly lost in the hospital.

* * *

The Next Day

Daniel lounged at home, glad that he was finally free. Apparently he had hit his head slightly when he had fainted, so his doctor had insisted that he stay the night for observation. Of course his mother had gone right along with it and had told him that he had to take the next day off from school to 'recover'. So here he was on a Friday afternoon just sitting around on his computer. He hadn't heard anything yet on the news or received any frantic texts from people so he assumed that the cops hadn't done anything yet. In a way he was disappointed by this as he thought that the cops would have acted faster. He told them everything that he saw and that should have been enough to get them to at least bring Azimio in for questioning.

Daniel was still pondering this when the doorbell rang. He quickly left his room and went downstairs to open the door, revealing Burt Hummel. Daniel stood there for a second, stunned speechless. That second of indecision was all Burt needed to close the gap between them, wrap his arms around Daniel, and shakily say "Thank you."

Daniel stood there as Burt Hummel proceeded to break down while hugging him tight. It was quite a shock for Daniel to be hugged by another man, but he could understand it a little. He had after all saved this man's son. However, he really had no desire to stand here being hugged by a guy. He attempted to push Mr. Hummel away, something that proved to be highly ineffective. When he made the attempt Mr. Hummel only squeezed harder and said "My son is alive right now because of you. Thank you, thank you so much."

At this point it dawned on Mr. Hummel just what he was doing, and within seconds he was backing away from Daniel, and appeared slightly awkward. He attempted to speak for about a minute, decided that nothing fancy was coming, and simply said "If you need anything, just ask. Its the least I can do."

After saying this Burt Hummel quickly made his way back to his car, presumably to head back to the hospital and check on Kurt again. Daniel watched as Kurt's dad drove away, and wondered again just what it would be like to have a dad around that loved you that much. Thinking like that reminded him about the lack of his own father, and with this depressing thought now descending upon him he headed back inside, intent on finding something to bring his spirits back up.

* * *

MEANWHILE, at the hospital

Puck glanced over at Kurt's room, and once again wished he could get his hands around Azimio's neck. Word had gotten around at lunch about who had attacked Kurt, as that was the time that Azimio was dragged out of his house and arrested by the police. Someone must have seen it, as a text storm started up. Even the members of glee club were caught up in it and they were out for blood. Mercedes had been enraged to the point of spitting metal, and could not have been calmed by any known means. Rachel had started calling/texting everyone else to let them know what had happened, and to say (repeatedly) that she would get her fathers' lawyer to represent Kurt in whatever way he needed. Needless to say, Rachel had gotten on the nerves of the entire glee club (Even Brittany, although that could have been over a misunderstanding involving a cupcake) and was quickly told to just be quiet. Now they were all camped out at the hospital, or rather scattered about it. Quinn was sitting next to him, just staring at the ground. Arty, Tina and Rachel were done at the cafeteria trying to find something that everyone could snack on, while the rest were off in the waiting room calling their parents to let them know where they were.

Puck glanced over at Quinn, and upon seeing the slightly distressed look on her face, wrapped an arm around her and hugged her close. Quinn buried her head into Puck's side, not saying anything but taking comfort from Puck's embrace. Neither of them said anything, as it was unnecessary. Quinn genuinely liked Kurt despite not showing it that often. His antics brought a smile to her face, a rare thing in her stressed out life. He also did not give her any crap about her pregnancy. That last fact alone would have been enough to earn him a place in her 'good book' but with everything else it elevated Kurt from 'liked acquaintance' to 'real friend'. It was for this reason that Quinn was camped out here, and she had a good idea of why Puck was here as well. Kurt was bullied by Puck, and ONLY Puck. Anyone else who dared touch the boy was asking to get thrashed by the imposing football player.

Puck jerked his head to the door as it opened it up and revealed Kurt's doctor. He hadn't caught her name but he could tell from her tired yet satisfied face that she had good news. She glanced around and eventually zeroed in on the two sitting not far from Kurt's room. She calmly walked over to them and asked "Do you know where-"

She was cut off as Burt Hummel rounded a corner, and upon seeing the doctor, asked "Doctor, how is he doing?"

The doctor turned to Burt with a smile and said "He just woke up. We also did not find any major trauma, so he should be fine in a day or two. He'll just need to stay another night and if nothing comes up he should be good to go tomorrow. He's a real lucky one."

Burt Hummel was near tears at this point, but held it together as he headed to see his now conscious son. Puck watched all of this from his seat, relief flowing through his body as his mind processed it. Although he would never admit it to anyone, he kind of liked Kurt. As a friend. His hand sought Quinn's and once entwined he gently squeezed it. The squeeze in reply from Quinn was all that was needed for a smile to form on his face, and he laid his head down on Quinn while he waited for Mr. Hummel to come back out and fill them all in on just how Kurt was doing.

* * *

Kurt stared up at his dad in a bit of shock. The last thing he could remember was Azimio charging at him and the thought of whether he would survive to be fabulous another day. While his head hurt quite a bit despite the drugs he was on he was obviously alive and this was a very good thing. He weakly said "Hey dad, guess you were right about me not knowing how to take a punch."

Kurt watched as his father tear up and chuckle at the same time and couldn't help but do the same. After a few moments of this Burt walked over close to his son and wrapped him up in a gently hug. Kurt hugged back as much as he could and said "Sorry to worry you dad."

Mr. Hummel was quiet for a second, and then said "Don't ever worry me like that EVER again. Lets just be glad Daniel found you when he did. Who knows what might have happened."

Kurt was a bit shocked at this, as he had so far been kept in the dark concerning the details of his attack. He knew that there were several Daniels at school, but for some reason he knew it was Daniel Cooper. As his father released him Kurt wondered exactly what had happened, and whether he should be thanking Daniel or wondering if the other boy had had something to do with his attack in the first place. Either way, he now had something to ponder, and with nothing else to do for a couple of hours he would have plenty of time to consider everything he could think of.

* * *

Author's Note

Maybe not the best, but I needed this chapter to move the plot along. Yes, Puck/Quinn hinting at here. And I make no promises of what is to come. It shall be a surprise. Unless you guess it, which is very possible. Chapter six will be up as soon as I get it done.


	6. Unwanted Questions

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of glee.

Chapter 6

Kurt stood outside of the Cooper residence and wondered how he should broach the subject of what happened the night of his attack. He knew that Azimio was being charged with his attack, and that he was alive thanks to Daniel's action. What he didn't know though was exactly how Daniel had been involved, and almost as important, why. He also had Daniel's calculus book to give back, which had spent a few days in his locker collecting dust. He had sneaked into school to grab it just to have an excuse to show up at Daniel's house. He mentally thanked Finn for giving him the address, who apparently had been one of the people getting help with their homework from Daniel. HE took a deep breath in to calm his nerves, stepped up to the door, and rang the bell.

A few seconds later the door opened to reveal a woman in her late 40's who appeared to be aging gracefully. Her smile slipped a bit when she recognized who was standing in front of her, but Joyce Cooper would die before being anything less than polite to someone standing at her door. She sweetly, if in a slightly forced tone, asked "Can I help you Kurt?"

Kurt reflexively swallowed at the slightly chilly welcome and said "I'm here to return Dan's book. And to, uh, thank him."

Joyce nodded slightly and replied with "I'll go get him. Would you like to" she paused for a second and then continued in a slightly forced voice "come in for a moment?"

Kurt nodded, and stepped in as Joyce made way for him. She slowly shut the door behind Kurt and said "Daniel's room is upstairs. He is most likely working on his bible study class. He is very dedicated to it."

Joyce's words, as well as the various religious paraphernalia gave Kurt a very good idea of how Mrs. Cooper viewed him. The fact that he was wearing one of his more fashionable outfits probably did not earn him any points with her. He also guessed that she did not trust him one bit, as her eyes trailed after him as he headed up towards Dan's room.

For a few moments upstairs he was unsure of which room was Dan's, but just as he was about to call out for directions a door nearby opened. Standing in the doorway was Dan. Clad in only a loose white shirt and a pair of gym shorts Dan cut quite an interesting figure, at least in Kurt's mind. He felt his mouth dry out for a second, and quickly said "I have your book" to cover up any hesitation or awkwardness.

Dan blinked at him for a second, but then said "Ok..."

They both stood there awkwardly for a second until Daniel squirmed a little and then said "I guess you can give it to me now."

Kurt jerked slightly at this, and simply said "Yeah."

Both boys were obviously a bit awkward as Kurt stepped over into the doorway of Daniel's bedroom and handed over the book. Kurt couldn't help but notice how close he was to Dan, and his body began making its pleasure at the situation known. Luckily Dan didn't notice anything out of the ordinary, or at least if he did he didn't say anything about it.

After standing there for a second Dan turned around to head back into his room and placed the calculus book down on his slightly unmade bed. After doing this he turned back around and glanced at Kurt. Kurt took this opportunity to step into Dan's room and say "I also wanted to thank you for, you know, saving my life."

Daniel stood there for a second, feeling more than a little awkward having Kurt in his bedroom. He wasn't oblivious to the look in Kurt's eyes, and it was something he was not used to seeing in the eyes of another man. He really just wanted Kurt to leave at this point, but could not bring himself to tell him to scram. He had saved Kurt's life after all, so the other boy must have felt the need to thank his savior. If it had been someone other than Kurt Daniel probably would have taken this opportunity to bring them out of their world of sin and into the loving arms of God.

Daniel stopped his train of thoughts for a second, and then backed up. His mother kept telling him that anyone could be saved, and who was he to say that Kurt couldn't be? With this in mind Daniel asked "Kurt you never would have needed my help in the first place if you just stopped with your life of sin. It wasn't you personally that Azimio was attacking. It was your lifestyle choice that got to him. I can help you change. You just need to let me."

Kurt stood there open mouthed as Dan spouted mindless religious propaganda at him. He would have been shaking with rage if that words hadn't cut through him like a knife. For a second Kurt just stood there in silence, trying to wrap his mind around what he had just heard. In the next second he was shaking with barely contained fury.

I a scathing tone he said "Choice? You think I would 'choose' to be a 'freak'? You think I would 'choose' to be estranged from my father? You think I would 'choose' something that would make my life far more difficult than it already was? Choice has nothing to do with it. I was born like this. I fall in love with other guys. And apparently guys who are always the worst thing possible for me."

Kurt cut off at the end of that, having realized he had inadvertently let out far more than he intended. Kurt felt himself blushing red and decided it might be time to go. Dan was standing there quite shocked and possibly disgusted. Kurt turned around and more or less fled after that. He moved as fast as he dared to without alerting Mrs. Cooper to something being up. It was all in vain though as when he reached the door he saw Mrs. Cooper staring at him from the hallway, a small smirk gracing her face. He only saw it for a second for he was out the door only moments later feeling like a complete moron.

* * *

Daniel sat down on his bed as he attempted to sort through what he was feeling. At the forefront was surprise, with disgust being a close second. However, right behind disgust was... curiosity? Why would he be curious? I mean, yeah it was a little surprising that Kurt had a crush on him but why would that interest him? Shouldn't he be only disgusted? The bible was quite clear on the subject. Men do not fall in love with men, only women. Did Kurt think he was attractive?

That last thought, which came out of nowhere, stunned Daniel. Why would he _care_ if Kurt found him attractive? He was a guy. He liked girls. So what if he hadn't found the right girl to date. He was still young. 17 was young, wasn't it?

Daniel was still wrapped up in these thoughts when his mother walked in. She took one look at him and said "Did he do anything to you? Anything inappropriate? People like him can't be trusted. I only let him in to get this over with, and because I knew you could handle someone like him."

Daniel nodded in response to his Mother's questions and said "No. I'm fine mom. He's just... weird."

Joyce nodded sagely, as if she knew all there was to know about homosexuals. She smiled at her son and said "You handled it well. I'll be downstairs if you need anything."

Daniel watched as his mother left his room, shutting his door behind her. Left alone, Daniel had nothing to keep him company except the thoughts filtering through his mind, and the unwanted questions that arose in response.

* * *

Author's note

Ok, that was faster than I thought. Things will start picking up soon, I promise.


	7. BANG! Or not

Disclaimer: Me no owny the characters

Chapter 7

Kurt watched as the rest of the student body evacuated school in a semi-chaotic manner. Someone (Puck) had anonymously called the school and informed them that there was a volatile mixture somewhere in the school that would be highly damaging. So in response the school was quickly being evacuated and a bomb squad brought in. What most people didn't realize was that last night there had been a football game and that there was a huge English test today. Since there was no studying last night for the football team the certain someone had decided that it would be a good idea to get class canceled, by any means necessary.

Most of the members of glee club had guessed that it was probably Puck who was behind all of this, but no one wanted to say anything. First of all, Puck would be very unhappy with anyone who ratted him out. Second, they were getting out of class. Last of all was that Puck would be VERY unhappy. Self preservation was the reasoning behind keeping their mouths shut, and few if any would advise anything different.

As the last of the student body left the school Kurt turned around just in time to see Puck and Finn walking towards him. Finn looked like a little kid who had been caught stealing candy while Puck was the embodiment of contentment. It didn't take a genius to guess why and it was all Kurt could do just to keep from bursting out laughing at the sight of them. Kurt held his cool, if only barely, as Puck came up and asked "So, who do you think did it?"

Kurt's only response to this question was to shove his arm into his mouth to muffle the laughter that was spilling out of him. Several people nearby noticed this but after seeing who was involved decided that grass was far more interesting than the antics of the three glee club members.

After about two minutes of uncontrollable muffled laughter Kurt was able to calm down just enough to shakily say "Not a clue in the world."

This reply caused even Finn to smirk a bit, and all three quickly felt all tension drain away. Ever since Kurt's accident Puck's behavior had changed dramatically. At first it had just been a decrease in the jibes and comments about his looks, behavior etc. But now all forms of bullying had ceased all together, and Kurt was almost positive that Puck had spread the word that Kurt was 'off limits' to any form of tyrannizing. While Kurt appreciated this immensely, he wasn't sure exactly where he and Puck stood. So far the two of them hadn't had much interaction as it had only been about a week and a half since Kurt had been released from the hospital. However, it looked like Puck was going to broach the subject now, and Kurt was all ears to whatever the big football player had to say.

Without any preamble Puck said "Kurt, I'm sorry. I know I've been a jerk to you for years now. I guess I really didn't see anything wrong with it. But then when Azimio, you know, well I was forced to look back at what I'd done as well. It was stupid. Lets just move forward and be cool, ok?"

Kurt stood there stunned for a second, not sure how he should respond. Puck, the guy who had terrorized him for quite some time, was _apologizing_ to him. From the lack of shock from Finn's face he had obviously already heard this little speech, or else known it was coming. Since the second was highly unlikely, given that Finn was almost as clueless as Brittany at times, it meant that Puck had actually talked about this beforehand. This was way out of character for Puck, and Kurt could only surmise that it was due to his near death experience. It must have hit Puck _hard_.

Once speech became available to Kurt again he replied with "Yeah, we're cool. Now I don't have to spend _nearly_ as much on dry cleaning. My dad nearly had apoplexy last time he saw the bill."

All three of them had a good laugh over this, and while they were distracted the bomb squad showed up and began to do their thing. After about thirty minutes of searching while the students milled they finally reappeared, shaking their heads in a mixture of amusement and exasperation. They made their way over to the group consisting of cops and school officials, spoke for a few minutes, and then headed back to their vehicle to leave. Principle Figgins, looking like he had just eaten a very displeasing thing, left the group and told the teachers to bring their classes back inside, and that the events of today would be dealt with later.

Puck chuckled in response to this as Finn began to turn slightly green at the thought of getting caught. Kurt for his part just smiled but said nothing, and started walking back into the school. As he did this Kurt accidentally bumped into another student and, like always, ended up on his ass. As if the fates had decided to spite him the person who he had bumped into turned out to be none other than Dan Cooper. Upon realizing this Kurt only had one thought.

_:Shit:_

* * *

Daniel was only slightly surprised this time when Kurt collided with him, as it was very difficult to move through this throng of people. It was a little odd though that it happened. He idly wondered if someone was twisting fate and manipulating him and Kurt to have more interaction than would normal.

Seeing Kurt brushing himself off and attempting to rise brought Daniel out of his internal thoughts and reminded him of what he should do. He held out a hand to Kurt and said "Here, let me help you up."

Kurt looked up at Daniel, stopping at his hand for a second, and then trailing his eyes up till their gazes locked. For a second all the unwanted questions that had arose during their last interaction pushed their way to the forefront of his mind, but Daniel quickly shoved them aside. Kurt just liked him cause he had saved Kurt's life. That had to be it. There was no reason to think it meant anything at all. This was what he told himself, and used it as a justification for why he was helping Kurt up right now.

Daniel gripped Kurt's hand when Kurt grabbed it, and pulled back to help bring the other boy up. Fate being what it was though made this moment the exact second a freshman girl noticed a sizable spider on the ground and quickly backed away from it by reflex. This pushed Kurt forward so that he was right against Daniel's chest. For a second neither of them moved. Daniel stood there, feeling Kurt's heartbeat and warm semi-embrace. Kurt stood there relishing the moment, savoring the enticing scent of Dan's deodorant,and enjoying the warmth of the other boy's body. Although the moment only lasted a few seconds it felt like an eternity for the two boys caught up in it.

Time abruptly returned to its' normal flow and both boys separated, albeit a little reluctantly. With a fierce blush on his face Daniel turned away from Kurt and said "I guess I'll, uh, see you later."

Kurt nodded slightly and said "Yeah... later..."

* * *

Quinn watched the actions of the two boys as the people around her attempted to head back inside. She had only noticed Kurt by chance, and had been about to go over to help him out when Daniel had held out a hand to help the other boy up. At first she had thought that Daniel had pushed him down and had been thoroughly surprised by the offer of help. It meant that what had happened had been an accident, instead of an act of vile intent.

What happened next though shocked her to her core. A random freshman girl bumped into Kurt from behind and caused the two boys to be extremely close. In another situation Quinn would have said they were embracing. That alone would not have shocked her, except for the fact that neither seemed to be willing to separate. With a shock Quinn realized something, and also realized that she would have to intervene quickly, or else there would be no chance of this ending well. With this on her mind Quinn returned to the rush of people heading into the school, intent on getting Daniel's address by the end of school that day.

* * *

Author's note

I would like to apologize here for any confusion my story may have caused. I do not in any way believe that all Christians act in the way that I portrayed Joyce and Daniel. I myself am Christian and are using an extreme at one end of the spectrum as a plot device. If anyone was offended by this I again apologize for this, and will attempt to be as clear as possible with this in the future. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and will get chapter 8 out as soon as I can.


	8. Revelations

Disclaimer: I could tell you what I did and did not own, but then I'd have to kill you.

Quinn glanced down at the slip of paper Puck had given her and gathered her courage for what was about to come. There was a very high likelihood that she would soon be thrown out of that house, as what she had to say was doubtful to be well received by Daniel. Waiting out on the street however would not help anyone though, so she calmly walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. A few moments later Joyce Cooper opened the door, a quizzical look on her face. The look quickly disintegrated into a smile when she recognized the person standing before her. "Quinn Fabray! What brings you out here so late? Please, come in out of the cold."

As Quinn walked through the door she was glad for two very important things. First, that Ms. Cooper was not aware of her pregnancy (she still did not know how) and secondly that her outfit hid the growing baby bump. Otherwise she might be receiving a very different welcome from this woman who most agreed went a little too far at times denouncing others. Once inside Joyce said "You must be here to see Daniel. I'll go get him right now. It is just wonderful seeing you again."

Before Ms. Cooper could head upstairs Quinn quickly cut in with "Thats alright Ms. Cooper. I'll just be a second. I just need to ask Daniel a few questions about one of my classes. He's always so helpful."

Joyce looked Quinn up and down, seemed to have a mental debate, and then said "I'll right. But you two keep the door open. No funny business in this house."

Quinn felt herself blush even as she thought _:Doubtful of that EVER happening. Unless I'm a worse judge of character than Finn.:_ Quinn swiftly made her way upstairs and found Daniel's door shut. She knocked twice and waited until she heard Daniel ask "What?" before saying "Its Quinn. Can I talk to you for a sec?"

Quinn heard some sounds of movement coming from within the room and a second later the door opened. Daniel stood there with a confused look on his face as he asked "Whats up? And why didn't you just call? I could have helped you with your homework easily via phone."

Quinn put a finger up to her lips and then quietly said "Didn't want your mom hearing anything. Seems like she'd be the type to listen in every now and again."

Daniel stared at her blankly for a second, and then shifted to alarm. He quietly said "Just what are you getting at Quinn?"

Daniel stepped back as Quinn stepped into the room and looked him straight in the eye. He was wondering what was so important that she didn't want his mother catching on and hoped that she wouldn't keep him in suspense. Evidently she was not going to draw things out as she immediately asked "Are you in love with Kurt?"

Daniel's mouth fell open in response to Quinn's question. It was utterly ridiculous. He was straight. He liked girls. There was no way he was in love with Kurt. He would much rather have her. He was going to tell her this. He was-

"I don't know."

The words seemed to slip out almost on their own, shocking Daniel but apparently expected by Quinn. She nodded sadly in response to these three words and simply said "Its ok, you know. It doesn't mean there is anything wrong with you. Don't be scared."

Daniel felt his body begin to twitch slightly, and then the next thing he knew he was on his bed shaking as Quinn held him. She had her arms wrapped around him, softly saying "Daniel, it is ok. Shh... You'll be fine."

For a whole five minutes Quinn held Daniel there, comforting him as he shook in her arms. He felt as if his entire world had just come crashing down. Something that he had avoided even imaging was now in his face and he realized with a shock that it had been there for some time. He knew that on some level he had known, and had been burying it deep inside himself. Now though it was surging to the top and Daniel was powerless to stop it.

Eventually Ms. Cooper came upstairs and was shocked to find her son weeping into Quinn's arms. She was about to rush over to her son when she heard him say "Why Quinn? Why me? Why him?"

Joyce stopped inches from her son, not sure what was happening but also not sure if she should interfere or not. Daniel gave no sign of acknowledging her presence even though Quinn did. Quinn attempted to stop what Daniel said next, but was too slow. So Joyce had the, not pleasure, but opportunity to hear her son say "Why am I attracted to Kurt?"

Joyce froze where she stood. The words she had just heard struck her to her core. She never would have guessed that her son was confused like that. How could she not have seen that her son was unsure? He didn't have a father around, although his good for nothing father would have been no help here. She didn't know if she would be able to help him herself but she did know of people who could.

Turning an expressionless face at Quinn she said "I think you should go now Quinn. Daniel and I need to talk."

Joyce watched as Quinn glanced at Daniel, who by now was staring at his mother with a blanched face, and looked back towards her. Joyce could tell that Quinn was torn between doing as Joyce wished and staying with Daniel. As Joyce continued staring down the girl Quinn eventually broke down, excusing herself and heading for the door. Unbeknown to Joyce Quinn stopped at the door to look back at Daniel one last time before leaving.

* * *

Kurt stood before his closet and wondered how this travesty occurred. Amidst his carefully arranged sanctuary was something that could not, or at least should not be there. An outfit from last year! It was completely out of style! How could this have happened? He had throughly purged, going over every article of clothing. And yet there was still a shirt hanging there. Mocking him.

As he reached for it to pack away far out of sight his father called down and said "Some friends are here to see you Kurt."

_:You win this time shirt. But next time you will be sleeping with the mothballs.:_

Kurt quickly headed up the stairs to see who was here to see him. When he reached the door he was a little shocked to see Artie, Tina and Mercedes standing there. He awkwardly stood there, not sure of what he should say. Besides the few seconds he saw them at the hospital he hadn't really interacted them since quitting glee club, and he wasn't sure where they stood right now.

The others, after sensing Kurt's awkwardness, quickly came to his rescue. Mercedes said "Kurt, please come back. We understand why you quit. But Ms. Sylvester doesn't get you like we do. We need you, and deep down inside you know you need us."

Kurt's only response was "You were watching Lifetime movies earlier, weren't you?"

Mercedes scowled and asked "Was it really that obvious."

Everyone stared at Mercedes, and she took these silent stares as affirmations. Artie took this opportunity to butt in with "What Miss Sappy Daytime Tv was trying to say is that Glee club isn't the same without you. Please come back Kurt."

Kurt stared at Artie for a moment, smirked and then asked "Artie, were you just hitting on me?"

Artie gaped at Kurt with an open-mouthed look of shock similar to that of a fish. He had no idea what to say in response and would have sat there for an hour frozen in place if it hadn't been for Tina leaning in and saying "Not on your life Kurt. He's my man, and he knows it."

All four of them chuckled at this and with that laughter the tension hanging in the air was dispelled in its' entirety. Kurt smiled as he regarded his friends and said "You're right. I don't know what I was thinking guys. I should never have left."

All four of them joined together in a hug at this point, with them leaning down to include Artie.

* * *

Author's Note

Sorry for the lack of updates! Its been crazy over here. Finals, then moving out, then moving into my summer apartment. Sprinkle in my summer classes and you get an idea of where my time went. Things have settled down a bit so I should be able to post the chapters with a bit more regularity now. Hope you all enjoy it, and more will be coming soon.


	9. Favor

Disclaimer: You know the drill

Daniel wasn't in school. Despite her best efforts to find out where he was, no one had been able to tell Quinn a thing. The few people she knew that were Daniel's friends just shrugged and said that they hadn't heard anything. A few had suggested texting him if it was so important. The fact that she had been trying this all day was apparently lost on her fellow students, and she was in no mood to be accommodating to stupidity. Her scathing replies and death glares caused quite a stir as people hurled themselves out of her way. This of course spawned at least a dozen rumors, the leading two being "Daniel was actually the one who got Quinn pregnant" and "Quinn's hormones have finally kicked into overdrive. Beware the Bitch Queen.". Any other day this would have annoyed the crap out of her, but today it didn't even take second place on her priority list.

As the last of Daniel's friends told Quinn that they had no idea what was up with Daniel Quinn knew she was in trouble. She had tried to keep things under wraps as she knew Daniel would not appreciate any rumors, true or otherwise, of him being gay. However, she now had little choice in the matter. Ms. Cooper's face last night had frightened her and with Daniel missing today she didn't know what to think. This was all running through Quinn's head very rapidly, so much in fact that she didn't even notice that Puck was now walking with her and asking her what was wrong. She only became aware of him when he finally grabbed her gently and asked "Quinn, whats wrong?"

Quinn looked up at Puck and was at a loss for words. She wanted to break down crying and tell him that she had destroyed Daniel's life. She wanted to say that if it weren't for her things would be so much better. She wanted to say many other things too but despite her best efforts nothing came out. Puck, for once being somewhat observant and caring, just led Quinn over to an empty classroom and closed the door behind them. Once inside he said "Quinn, just tell me whats wrong. And don't deny that something is wrong. Everyone in school can tell. Even Brittany."

Quinn just sat down in a chair and remained silent. Although she trusted Puck a fair amount she just wasn't comfortable with telling him. All it would take would be one comment without thought and the whole school would know. At the same time though she needed help. With his reputation Puck could slip out of school or do any other number of things to find out about Daniel and no one would think twice. It was for this reason that Quinn finally turned to look at Puck and said "I need a favor Puck."

Puck didn't hesitate for a second. He immediately asked "What do you need?"

"Can you go over to Daniel Cooper's house and find out what is going on? I... did something last night that I probably shouldn't have done. I just want to know that he is ok."

Puck nodded, a little confused about what Quinn was talking about but knew that Quinn would have said more if she thought he needed to know. He went over to Quinn and whispered "I'll take care of it Quinn."into her ear as he wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

* * *

Puck nonchalantly walked out a side door of the school and started walking towards the parking lot. After talking to Quinn he had made a valiant attempt to sneak out of school and go check on Daniel for her. Unfortunately for him, Emma decided that they should have a talk about his work ethic. Specifically, the lack of it.

Emma had snagged him almost immediately upon leaving the classroom where he and Quinn had been talking. For the next thirty minutes she had gone over his dismal grades and asked him a multitude of questions. Instead of responses, he just leveled his 'I don't care' look at her and waited for her to crack. Eventually Emma gave up and let Puck go. She assumed that he would head off to class and would have been extremely disappointed, but not shocked, if she had known where he had actually gone.

As Puck walked up to his truck he took a quick look around to make sure no one would see him leave. He really had no desire to leave while a teacher could actually see, as they would just bitch and moan about it to him. Besides, he actually planned on coming back after checking in on Daniel for Quinn. Today was glee rehearsal, and more importantly, Kurt was coming back. The others had already made it known that everyone had to be there no matter what.

After seeing that no one was around to rat him out right away Puck got into his truck and began driving towards Daniel's house.

* * *

Daniel stared off into space as he lay on his bed. His mother had talked to him for a while last night, with him just sitting there listening. He hadn't really understood anything she had said as all he could think of was Quinn doing this to him. If she hadn't said anything he would still be fine. Instead she had burst into his house and brought up things that were better left buried. And at the end she had the nerve to look at him with pity on her face. It was her fault he was in this mess.

Daniel tried not to think about the pamphlets sitting on his nightstand. His mother had gone out this morning and brought them back from their church. They had varying titles but they all were about the same thing. How to 'cure' being gay. The one at the bottom was a little bit different than the others, but his mother had said that It would probably be the best choice for him. It was a brochure for a straight camp.

As he thought about it he recalled his conversation with his mother this morning. She had told him last night that he had to stay home from school so they could talk. That had filled him with dread, but nothing had prepared him for what she said. One thing she said stuck out the most, and was constantly going through his head. It was her saying was "We'll do whatever we have to do to make you better Daniel. We'll take care of this problem, and then we'll get you out of that school. It obviously has made you confused."

Daniel couldn't say why, but that comment hurt him in a way he couldn't even begin to describe. Something felt torn within him, although he could not say exactly what. He only knew that ever since he had heard that he had sat in his room staring at nothing in particular. Even now he couldn't move, despite his mother having been gone for an hour or two. He just had no desire to. Even when the doorbell rang he just sat there, hoping that whoever was there would just go away.

* * *

Puck frowned at the door as seconds became a minute, then two. There was a car in the driveway besides his so someone should be here. He wasn't sure if the car was Ms. Cooper's or Daniel's, but either way one of them should be around. Quinn would have mentioned something if a hospital trip had been involved. Or at least, he thought she would have. She had been strange around him recently. Part of her seemed to really want to be with him, while another part of her pulled away. They might have been living in the same house but they were far from together.

He still had this on his mind as he rang the bell again. When that again did not bring anyone to the door he tried knocking. He rapped on the door a few times but only became annoyed as nothing changed. No one seemed to be home and staying here would not change that. He was about to turn around and walk away when a last thought struck him. He stared at the door and said "It would be WAY too easy. But might as well try..."

Puck gripped the doorknob, turned it and pushed. To his complete surprise the door opened. After standing there for a second he shook slightly to break his stillness and walked in. As he did he called out "Daniel? You here man?"

* * *

Author's note

Yes, I am ending the chapter there. Seems awkward, but it is almost 1am and my insomnia is coming to a close. Hope you enjoy it, and I will try and get chapter 10 out by Friday.


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